Feeding mechanism for rechippers



July 31, 1956 M. F. FISH ETAL 2,756,783

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR RECHIPPERS Filed Jan. 25. 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Adelbert E. Small BY Marion E Fish 4 True/vs Y8 July 31, 1956 M. F. FISH ET AL FEEDING MECHANISM FOR RECHIPPERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 25, 1954 INVENTORS Adelber'r E. Small Marion E Fish July 31, 1956 M. F. FISH ETAL 2,756,788

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR RECHIPPERS Filed Jan. 25, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Flg. 3

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INVENTORS Adelbert E. Small Marion F. Fish HTTOZNE'YS @IQMW July 31, 1956 M. F. FISH ETAL FEEDING MECHANISM FOR RECHIPPERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 25. 1954 uvmvrozzs Adelbert E. Small BY Marion E Fish MW 4TTOBNE Y5 United States Patent FEEDING MECHANISM FOR RECHIPPERS Marion F. Fish and Adelbert E. Small, Everett, Wash, assignors to Sumner Iron Works, Everett, Wash.

Application January 25, 1954, Serial No. 406,036

4 Claims. (Cl. 144-442) This invention relates to improvements in machines that, in the industry to which they pertain, are known as re-chippers; such machines being designed for the cutting and reducing to usable chips, those slivers, strips and pieces of wood other than chips, that are incident to a normal wood chipping operation as carried out by present day machines in their making of pump wood chips; this particular invention being in the nature of an improvement on the machine embodied by United States Patent No. 2,582,537, issued on January 15, 1952, particularly in respect to the means for and manner of feeding the said slivers, strips and pieces of wood to the cutters of the re-chipper.

For a better understanding of the need for and uses of the improvements of the present invention, it will here be explained that in the chipping of wood bolts as practiced in the paper pulp industry by present day, high speed chippers, the operation results in the formation, along with the desired chips, of an appreciable quantity of slivers, strips and other fragments of wood that are off-size. It is not economical to waste this off-size" material and therefore it has been a common practice to cause it to be returned to and passed through a chipper a second time.

In the passing of this off-size material through a chipper, difliculty has been experienced'in progressively feeding it to the chipper knives to cause it to be cut into chips of desired length, and it has been to overcome feeding and other difficulties that the present improvements have been designed.

In view of the foregoing explanation, it has been a primary object of this invention to provide a re-chipper having a novel and satisfactory feeding mechanism whereby the slivers, strips or other wood pieces of off-size material to be reduced will be brought into alignment, and then fed endWise to the chipper blades, and wherein means is provided for holding the pieces of material against being flipped 'or otherwise cast out of the feed trough as struck by or under the cutting action of chipper blades.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a re-chipper feeding mechanism that automatically adjusts itself to the material as brought thereto so that it retains a proper feeding and material holding function under all conditions of heavy or light flow of pieces to the cutters and regardless of an occasional large piece.

More specifically stated, the objects of the present invention reside in the provision of a re-chipper feeding mechanism including or in combination with a downwardly inclined, xi-shaped trough into which the wood pieces to be reduced are delivered for alignment and gravity advancement onto a horizontally traveling feed belt, to be carried thereon to and beneath a hold down, feed roller, and thence across an anvil to the chipper blades for cutting thereby into pieces of a predetermined length; there being a series of yieldable chip hold-down fingers associated with the feed roller designed to retain the wood pieces against jumping or being flipped from the feed belt by the action of the chipper blades.

Further objects of the invention reside in the details of construction and combination of parts, and mode of operation of the present mechanism as will hereinafter be fully described.

In accomplishing the above mentioned and other objects of the invention, we have provided the improved detail of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side View of a re-chipper equipped with a feed mechanism embodying the improvements of the present invention therein.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section, taken substantially on the line 33 in Fig; 1, showing the chipper disk and blades carried thereby.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section taken on line 44 in Fig. 1.

. Fig. 5 is an enlarged, vertical section taken lengthwise of the feed belt and hold-down fingers.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view, diagrammatically illustrating the driving means for the feed belt and the holddown roller.

Fig. 7 is a somewhat enlarged cross-section on the line 77 in Fig. 1.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

For the present rechipping operation we preferably employ a common type of wood chipper and equip it with a feed mechanism that embodies the improvements of the present invention therein. As shown best in Figs.

1 and 2, the re-chipper mechanism comprises a rectangular, and horizontally disposed base frame structure that is fabricated from channel iron members, or the like, and having opposite side beams, 1010, that are joined in spaced relationship across their opposite ends by crossbeams 12 and 12'. Fixed upon this base structure, transverselythereof, and at a location substantially medially of its ends, is a bed plate 13 to which the chipper disk housing 14 is rigidly fixed. Disposed within the housing 14, a chipper disk 15 is supported for rotation by its drive shaft 16. The bed plate 13 is suitably bolted or otherwise fixed to the base frame structure and the housing 14, in turn, is fixed to the bed plate. It is shown in Fig. 2, that the drive shaft 16 of the chipper extends horizontally, parallel with the longitudinal line of the base frame structure, and is revolubly mounted in suit-.

able supporting bearings 18-18 that are cast on fixed to the bed plate 13 at opposite sides of the transverse housing 14. At one end, the shaft 16 is operatively connected through the mediacy of a coupling 21 with the drive shaft 22 of an electric motor 22 that is mounted on cross-beams 12 and 12a at one end of the base frame structure.

The chipper disk 15, as contained in housing 14, revolves in a vertical plane, close to one side wall of its enclosing housing 14 as indicated in Fig. 5. The present disk is formed, at intervals of 60 about its axial center, with openings 25 directly therethrough. Set in the disk, at the following edges of these openings 25, and at a suitable angle relative to the disk, are the chipper blades 28; these being secured to the disk by bolts 30.

The enclosing housing 14 of the chipper disk is of an involute form shown in Fig. 3 for a purpose presently apparent. At the top, it is formed into a tangentially directed spout 32, flanged as at 33 for the attachment thereto of a discharge tube, as designated at 34 in Fig. 3, that leads to a point of discharge for the chips. Formed in that side wall of the housing 14 that is on the blade carrying side of the disk, and spaced from the disk axes, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, is an opening 35 through Patented July 31, 1956 which the material to be chipped is fed from the feed belt, presently described, across an anvil 36 to the path of the chipper knives. The relationship of the anvil 36 to the path of travel of the chipper knives is shown in Fig. to be such that the knives will coact therewith to cut into chips the pieces of off size material that are advanced thereacross from the feed belt, through opening 35 into their path of travel.

The chipper disk 15 is equipped on the side opposite that which carries the blades 28 with a plurality of radially extending fins 36 which operate as fan blades to draw air into the housing 14 through openings provided in the adjacent side wall and to expel it through the discharge spout 34, thus to convey the chips therewith to the discharge point.

The novel features of improvement of the present device reside primarily in the means for and manner of feeding the previously referred to off size material, comprising slivers, chips and wood pieces of other form, to the chipper. This feeding means will now be described:

Supported upon an extension frame structure 19x, at that end of the base structure which is opposite the end carrying the electric motor, is a feed hopper designated in Figs. 1 and 2 in its entirety by reference numeral 50. Preferably, this hopper is made of sheet metal, in the form of a V-shaped trough, and it is supported rigidly ina downwardly inclined position, in the longitudinal direction of the base frame, and directed toward the receiving side of the chipper housing 14. The hopper is supported by suitable uprights 51 from the base structure a that is best shown in Fig. l, and it slopes at an angle that is sufficient to cause material, as received within its upper end portion, to be fed, by gravity flow, to its lower end for discharge onto the top run of a horizontally traveling feed belt 55.

The belt 55 is continuous and is mounted for travel at its opposite ends about pulleys 56 and 57 supported, respectively, by cross-shafts 56 and 57 that have opposite end portions revolubly mounted in bearings 58 and 59 supported from the base frame structure of the mechanism. This belt, in a machine presently in use, is approximately eight inches wide, and about four feet long as measured between the pulleys 56 and 57. The top run of the belt is supported for sliding travel upon a horizontal plate 60, and between vertical side plates 61-61 of a belt guide frame structure best shown in side view in Fig. 1.

It has been shown in Fig. 5, that the belt 5'5, at its discharge end is close to and at the same level as the top surface of the anvil 36, and that the adjacent side surface of the anvil is cut away and curved to conform closely to the curvature of the belt as it passes downwardly about the pulley 57 so that the pieces of wood material, as advanced by the belt to the chipper will pass directly from the belt across the top surface of the anvil, into the path of the chipper blades.

A hardened cutting bar or blade 36x is set in the top inside edge of the anvil, as noted in Fig. 5; this can be removed for sharpening or replacement as desired or required.

It has been found to be practically impossible to cut the slivers or strips or pieces of material into chips in the desired manner without use of some means for holding them down firmly against the anvil as progressively advanced to the chipper blades. if such a holddown means is not employed, the first time a blade strikes a sliver or strip of wood, it causes the piece to be flipped up or thrown from the feed belt. Furthermore, unless some positive means of feeding is used with a hold-down device, chips of uniform lengths will not be produced.

In the present instance we have overcome the above mentioned diificulties by using a novel form of feed roller in combination with a series of hold-down bars that are arranged across the belt in the manner best understood by reference to Figs. 4 and 5. The feed roller which we employ is herein designated in its entirety by reference numeral 65. It is shown in Figs. 1 and 5 to be disposed directly above the pulley 57 about which the feed belt 55 operates, with its axis parallel to the axis of pulley 57. The roller 65 is fixed to a supporting axle or shaft 67 which is revolubly mounted in supporting bearings 6868; these bearings being fixed to the forward end of a swing frame 69. This frame comprises opposite side arms 69-6? which are shown in Fig. 2 to extend substantially horizontally and parallel with the feed belt. This swing frame is pivoted at its rear end on a horizontal cross-shaft 71? that, in turn, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is revolubly supported in bearings 7272 carried at the upper ends of vertical members 73-73 which constitute a part of the belt guiding and supporting frame structure. It will be understood by reference to Fig. 5, that the pivotal mounting of the one end of this roller carrying swing frame permits the roller 65 to rise and fall in accordance with the passing of the oif size material beneath it. This feed roller is rotatably driven in the direction of the arrow shown thereon in Fig. 5, at the lineal speed of the feed belt 55, to coact with the belt in advancing the material for rechipping across the anvil 36 to the chipper blades.

To facilitate the feeding of material and to insure a positive hold down of all pieces beneath the roller 65 being simultaneously advanced to the chipper, the roller is given the particular channeled form shown in Fig. 4 and a succession of independent hold-down bars or fingers are associated therewith as indicated in Fig .5.

It is shown best in Fig. 4 that the roller 65 is formed with a succession of relatively close, deep cut annular channels 80. In a machine now in use, the roller is six inches in diameter, eight inches long and there are nine grooves, formed therein; these being approximately onehalf inch apart and one and one-half inch deep. To insure a more positive feeding of material by the roller, the surface thereof is longitudinally corrugated, as shown in Fig. 5, but not shown in other views in order to avoid confusion.

Pivotally supported by a cross-shaft 82 that is fixed to the under side of the roller mounting swing frame 69, near the supporting cross-shaft 70, as seen in Fig. 5, are the succession of hold-down bars 84. These bars or fingers extend in the close, parallel relationship shown in Fig. 2, from the pivot shaft 32, along the under side of the swing frame, with their forward end portions extended into the corresponding encircling channels of the feed roller 65, as shown in Fig. 5. Each bar has a downwardly directed forward end portion 84a with its lower end portion bent forwardly and downwardly to form a continuing sled runner portion 34x beneath which the pieces of material to be formed into chips are carried on the feed belt for advancement across the anvil to the chipper blades.

It will be understood that the feed roller 65, under its weight, and as rotatably driven, coacts with the feed belt 55 to convey the pieces of material to the chipper; that the feed roller can rise and fall to permit pieces of varying sizes to pass beneath it, yet at all times its corrugated surface aids in the advancement of the pieces. It will be understood that the succession of hold-down bars 84 operate independently of each other, each under its own weight to press the pieces of material which are advanced beneath its sled runner end portion down against the belt and anvil so that the chipping action of the blades, as they successively engage with the advancing pieces, will not cause the pieces to be flipped from the belt, but to be so held that they will be cut cleanly into chips or pieces of uniform length as determined by their rate of advancement and the speed of rotation of the chipper disk.

To drive the feed belt 55 and the roller 65, we have mounted an electric motor on the base frame structure at one side of the feed belt guide way as shown in Fig. 2. It is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but best in the diagrammatic illustration in Fig. 6, that the motor shaft is equipped with a sprocket wheel 91 that is aligned with a driving sprocket wheel 92 on the drive shaft 56' of pulley 56, and a sprocket wheel 93 on the cross-shaft 70. A sprocket chain belt 94 extends about the sprocket wheels 91 and 92 to drive the pulley 56 for moving the feed belt 55 in the direction indicated. In its contact with sprocket 93, the chain belt 94 drives the sprocket and its supporting cross-shaft 70. The cross-shaft 70 is equipped at the end with a sprocket wheel 95, aligned with a sprocket wheel 96 on the supporting shaft 67 of feed roller 65. A sprocket chain belt 97 operates about these sprocket wheels 95 and 96 to drive the feed roller 65 in the proper direction. The ratio of the diameters of the sprockets is such that the desired speeds of belt 55 and roller 65 are obtained.

By use of the present feed mechanism, the pieces of off size material, which are predominately of sliver form, will be automatically aligned in their flow downward in the V-shaped hopper 50, and will be received on the feed belt 55 in parallel alignment, and corresponding to its direction of travel; usually these pieces spread themselves evenly across the feed belt as it advances and are brought to and advanced beneath the roller 65 and the vertically movable end portions of the hold-down bars with substantial uniformity.

It is to be noted, by reference to Fig. 5, that the sled runner end portions of the hold-down bars 84 terminate quite close to the line of travel of the chipper blades. Their terminal portions are so designed that they can lie flatly against the top surface of the anvil and the sled runner portions of the bars are at such a slight angle that there will be no danger of their causing any clogging or stopping of advancing material. The bars can easily rise and fall independently of each other and also independ ently of the roller 65 and therefore the pieces of material will at all times be maintained under control. No flipping out or mix up of material results at the entrance to the chipper housing.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A chipper comprising an anvil across which material to be chipped is advanced, power operated knives arranged for successively coacting with said anvil as said material is passed thereacross to reduce it to chips, a

6 driven feed belt having a top run positioned for the reception of the material thereon at one end and delivery therefrom at the other end onto and across said anvil, a material hold-down roll disposed across the feed belt immediately adjacent the anvil and adapted to apply pressure downwardly on the material being advanced thereby to and across the anvil, a vertically oscillating holding frame mounting said hold-down roll and permitting the roll to rise and fall relative to the feed belt in accordance with the passing of material thereunder, means for rotatably driving the roll and said feed roll having a plurality of encircling, annular grooves formed therein, and a plurality of material hold-down bars disposed lengthwise of and above said belt and extending beyond said roll, said bars having the ends thereof that are farthest from the roll pivotally fixed to a support and having portions thereof disposed in corresponding grooves of the roll and adapted to ride upon the material as it is advanced across the anvil and acted on by the knives.

2. A chipper as in claim 1 wherein the feed roll is of substantial diameter and is longitudinally corrugated.

3. A combination as recited in claim 1 wherein a shaft is mounted across and above the feed belt, between its ends, and wherein said holding frame is swingingly mounted at one end on said shaft and at its other end mounts the said hold-down roll therein.

4. A combination as recited in claim 1 wherein a shaft is mounted across and above the feed belt, between its ends, and wherein said holding frame is swingingly mounted at one end on said shaft and at its other end mounts the said hold-down roll therein, and said holding frame mounts across shaft therein, remote from the roll, and said holddown bars are pivoted on said cross-shaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 900,677 Mereen Oct. 6, 1908 1,496,080 Alderman June 3, 1924 1,908,855 Makenny May 16, 1933 2,130,457 Pickett Sept. 20, 1938 2,174,593 Pelot Oct. 3, 1939 2,269,352 Bacon Jan. 6, 1942 2,558,899 Green July 3, 1951 2,570,926 Elmendorf Oct. 9, 1951 2,652,077 Alexander Sept. 15, 1953 

